At OLPH (practice on Mondays at 7:30)
Saturday Mass (8:15AM) (Warm - up starts at 7:40)
June 5, 19
Kyrie XVII
Gospel Accl.
Sanctus XVIII
Mysterium Fidei and Amen
Agnus Dei XVIII
Salve Mater (June 5)
Panem de Caelo (June 19)
Salve Regina
At Resurrection Church (practice on Tuesdays at 7:30 PM)
Satruday Mass (9AM) (Warm-up starts at 8:30)
June 12
Kyrie XVII
Gospel Accl.
Sanctus XVIII
Mysterium Fidei and Amen
Agnus Dei XVIII
Panem de Caelo
Salve Regina
At St. Martin's (Little Sisters of the Poor)
June 20, Sunday, 10:30 (warm-up at 10AM)
Entrance: All People that on Earth Do Dwell (313)
Kyrie (857)
Gloria (858)
Responsorial Psalm:
My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God
Offertory : Proper (schola)
Sanctus (859)
Mysterium Fidei (priest)
(all)
Mortem tuam annuntiamus Domine,
et tuam resurrectionem confitemur, donec venias
(We proclaim Thy death, O Lord, and we confess Thy resurrection, until Thou comest.)
Doxology: Amen
Agnus Dei (862)
Communion Proper (schola)
Communion Thanksgiving Hymn: Jesus, the Very Thought of You (731)
Recessional: Salve Regina (708)
Children's Schola (practice on Mondays at 1:30 at OLPH)
First Friday Mass, June 4
OLPH 8:15 AM (warm up starts at 7:45 AM)
Ave Maria(prelude)
Kyrie XVI
Gospel Accl.
Ametur
Sanctus XVIII
Mysterium Fidei and Amen
Agnus Dei XVIII
Gustate et Videte
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Ninefold Kyrie
I am writing this in the blog to post in the forum (because somehow there's danger of losing my writing if I directly write in the forum) where currently there is a discussion going on about ninefold Kyrie.
Since we thankfully still have an 'option' to have ninefold Kyrie in Novus Ordo (GIRM,52), children's schola sings ninefold Kyrie. I have a couple of older boys starts the first Kyrie eleison and sing the alternating parts by themselves, and the rest of the schola sings with the congregation. Also in the leaflet I hand out to the congregation for the Latin text and translation, I type in bold the part that congregation sings with a short explanation under it, something like (9 fold Kyrie, sung in alternation with cantors, please join in bolds) - hopefully they will know it without this explanation when they get used to it. I also told them about the tradtional structure of Kyrie, 3 times to the Father 3 times to the Son and 3 times to the Holy Spirit, and also the nine choirs of angels around the altar. A lady I know who likes contemporary music and happens to be in the Mass when the children sing, asked me later why they sing Kyrie differently. I told her briefly about the tradition, and she was amazed saying " there's so much in the Liturgy..." This was a chance to share our Catholic faith through traditions in our Liturgy, even if it was a just a small part. (I think it's a good idea to have a corner for "Note about Music" in the church bulletin where you can provide interesting facts about music, explanation of a neum per week and so on.)
Musically each Kyrie eleison of Gregorian chant has its own unque ternary form that fits the texts beautifully. While trying to make it easy for the congregation and aiming for the immediate result of their singing, 6 fold is destroying this beautiful form of Kyrie. When our Holy Father talks about the beauty in art and music, he emphasizes the importance of the form. When we sing 6 fold Kyrie, we are giving up this beauty for the sake of convenience. In order to experience the divine beauty and love, there must be some sort of sacrifice and effort on our part also. If we keep seeking for our convenience and easy way to worhsip God, what are we going to have left in our worship?
If you wish to dare to be a bit 'extra ordinary' and inpire the congregation to sing and experience the beauty even with the simple Ordinary parts, there are ways to do so (although it might take a long time and hard work). One of my children's schola, which is now getting used to ninefold Kyrie, asked, "why adults sing only 6 fold Kyrie?" Hmmm, don't have a good answer. (Maybe it's too hard for adults or are they too busy? I don't know.)
Since we thankfully still have an 'option' to have ninefold Kyrie in Novus Ordo (GIRM,52), children's schola sings ninefold Kyrie. I have a couple of older boys starts the first Kyrie eleison and sing the alternating parts by themselves, and the rest of the schola sings with the congregation. Also in the leaflet I hand out to the congregation for the Latin text and translation, I type in bold the part that congregation sings with a short explanation under it, something like (9 fold Kyrie, sung in alternation with cantors, please join in bolds) - hopefully they will know it without this explanation when they get used to it. I also told them about the tradtional structure of Kyrie, 3 times to the Father 3 times to the Son and 3 times to the Holy Spirit, and also the nine choirs of angels around the altar. A lady I know who likes contemporary music and happens to be in the Mass when the children sing, asked me later why they sing Kyrie differently. I told her briefly about the tradition, and she was amazed saying " there's so much in the Liturgy..." This was a chance to share our Catholic faith through traditions in our Liturgy, even if it was a just a small part. (I think it's a good idea to have a corner for "Note about Music" in the church bulletin where you can provide interesting facts about music, explanation of a neum per week and so on.)
Musically each Kyrie eleison of Gregorian chant has its own unque ternary form that fits the texts beautifully. While trying to make it easy for the congregation and aiming for the immediate result of their singing, 6 fold is destroying this beautiful form of Kyrie. When our Holy Father talks about the beauty in art and music, he emphasizes the importance of the form. When we sing 6 fold Kyrie, we are giving up this beauty for the sake of convenience. In order to experience the divine beauty and love, there must be some sort of sacrifice and effort on our part also. If we keep seeking for our convenience and easy way to worhsip God, what are we going to have left in our worship?
If you wish to dare to be a bit 'extra ordinary' and inpire the congregation to sing and experience the beauty even with the simple Ordinary parts, there are ways to do so (although it might take a long time and hard work). One of my children's schola, which is now getting used to ninefold Kyrie, asked, "why adults sing only 6 fold Kyrie?" Hmmm, don't have a good answer. (Maybe it's too hard for adults or are they too busy? I don't know.)
Monday, May 10, 2010
Traditional Mass in PA
What a beautiful Mass we had yesterday. I'm very grateful that our schola members were able to sing for the Mass and receive so many graces at the beautiful Mass. To our surpise, it was a high Mass with deacons, seminarians and many altar boys. The priest who sang so beautifully was a self taught celebrant of Traditional Mass (I guess that not many seminarians learn Traditional Mass in the seminary?), and I was told that he started from scratch. Even if the church itself was not set up for the Traditional Mass, they were able to modify it to celebrate the Mass. It gives me hope that someday we could invite him over, as he mentioned, and have this kind of Traditional Mass in this area. I see and hear more and more people wanting to experience the Traditional Mass. This is something to pray about as we work on learning and studying Gregorian chant and make them more beautiful in our singing. I was also introduced to a few Korean priests and seminarians after the Mass. I was very glad to meet them.
What a beautiful Mother's day I had yesterday(and afterwards, thankful for the generous dishes of Chinese carryout to feed the whole family and scrumptious cheese dessert my 10 year old girl made)!
What a beautiful Mother's day I had yesterday(and afterwards, thankful for the generous dishes of Chinese carryout to feed the whole family and scrumptious cheese dessert my 10 year old girl made)!
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Video clips to watch on Sacred music
True Liturgical music unites us and helps us to become better than we are.
http://www.gloria.tv/?media=60058
http://www.gloria.tv/?media=65189
http://en.gloria.tv/?media=66068
(http://vimeo.com/8941838)
http://www.gloria.tv/?media=60058
http://www.gloria.tv/?media=65189
http://en.gloria.tv/?media=66068
(http://vimeo.com/8941838)
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
The Beauty of Procession in Mass
(in response to the question in witnessing Procession from musicasacra forum)
At the Potifical Mass, the Introit was sung after the Procession, not at the Procession. People who don't want to sing and don't want to be distracted in witnessing the Procession should be allowed to do so.
Many people in pews in our local parish already told me that there are too many songs they have to sing in Mass. And when my friends came to Traditional Mass, they were so relieved that they dodn't have to sing so many songs and get distracted by trying to sing all those songs, (because they've been told by the pastor and music directors that if they don't sing, they are not participating), and finally be able to focus on Mass. Many people in pews have to miss other important parts of the Mass, because they have to bury their faces in hymnals and struggle with songs. If 'hymns' are optional in Mass and not required parts, according to the Church's instruction, people should also have an option to sing or not. No Catholics should be forced to sing the parts that are not part of the Catholic Mass.
If one wanted to have more congregational singing, why not help them to sing more their parts of the Mass, "Responses" and "Ordinary parts" (especailly those in Latin as the Church instructed). They will be able to memoriaze them in time and won't need hymnals soon. And once they learn, they will be glad that they can sing the parts of the Mass, and truly participate in Mass, not just participate in singing. Whether hymns are licit or wisely chosen, hymns, especially those that are not liturgical, but individual devotional hymns, have been overused in Mass, and the Catholics in pews start to feel that more and more. I think those hymns and other songs can be sung more in adoration or in other times outside the Mass.
At the Potifical Mass, the Introit was sung after the Procession, not at the Procession. People who don't want to sing and don't want to be distracted in witnessing the Procession should be allowed to do so.
Many people in pews in our local parish already told me that there are too many songs they have to sing in Mass. And when my friends came to Traditional Mass, they were so relieved that they dodn't have to sing so many songs and get distracted by trying to sing all those songs, (because they've been told by the pastor and music directors that if they don't sing, they are not participating), and finally be able to focus on Mass. Many people in pews have to miss other important parts of the Mass, because they have to bury their faces in hymnals and struggle with songs. If 'hymns' are optional in Mass and not required parts, according to the Church's instruction, people should also have an option to sing or not. No Catholics should be forced to sing the parts that are not part of the Catholic Mass.
If one wanted to have more congregational singing, why not help them to sing more their parts of the Mass, "Responses" and "Ordinary parts" (especailly those in Latin as the Church instructed). They will be able to memoriaze them in time and won't need hymnals soon. And once they learn, they will be glad that they can sing the parts of the Mass, and truly participate in Mass, not just participate in singing. Whether hymns are licit or wisely chosen, hymns, especially those that are not liturgical, but individual devotional hymns, have been overused in Mass, and the Catholics in pews start to feel that more and more. I think those hymns and other songs can be sung more in adoration or in other times outside the Mass.
How can we come to an experience of God?
Credo: Trite music blocks our ears to the divine in the liturgy
Our worship enables us to enter another time and another dimension - a realm of experience beyond our ordinary human experience
John Shepherd
How can we come to an experience of God? It’s a challenge, because no matter how much we read the Bible, study theology, formulate creeds, devise systems of belief and draw up rules for best Christian practice, all these efforts are only partial, tentative explorations into a dimension that lies beyond any definitive grid we could ever hope to impose.
Which brings us to the worship of the liturgy, for it is in worship that we are immersed in the experience of God. It is here that we engage with the living God.
It is in the liturgy that we are able to enter into another consciousness, probe a deeper reality, strive for a sense of transcendence which lifts us above the mundane, and in the words of psalmist, sets us on a rock that is higher than ourselves. Our worship enables us to enter another time and another dimension — a realm of experience beyond our ordinary human experience, beyond all our known thoughts and understandings.
In monastic terms, the liturgy is the path towards an exalted “ecstasy”, a flight into the cloud of unknowing, the place where God is, and where the true contemplation of the creative stillness of God is possible.
And this is a reality which is beyond the ability of historians, theologians, linguists, biblical scholars or even pastoral liturgists to express. Their contributions may even hinder rather than help. The intensity and intangibility of this experience can only be expressed through the arts.
This is why music of quality is a critical element within the life of the Church. It is a necessity, not a luxury. It is neither a frivolous confection nor an elitist distraction from the real business of faith. Music of quality, in the context of worship, does not entertain or divert. It reveals.
By means of evolving harmonies, rhythms, textures, modulations, orchestrations, melodies, counterpoints, imitations, this rich art form has the potential to create an aural environment which enables us to contemplate the mystery of God.
Music of this calibre draws us into an engagement so profound that its sense can never be exhausted. Any work of art, be it sculpture, painting, literature, poetry or music, whose implications are immediately obvious and can instantly be grasped can never enlist our imagination, and so cannot equip us for mystery; and what cannot equip us for mystery cannot equip us for God.
This is why the Church should have no truck with banality. Yet, sadly, this is not universally the case. Too often, in a quaintly deluded attempt to achieve so-called relevance with a largely unidentified and notional constituency, the words of worship are denuded both of intellectual challenge and poetic imagery, and the music of worship is reduced to the most basic and arid of formulae. This toxic combination has achieved what many thought impossible. The emptying of our churches of those with minds to think, and emotions to inspire.
The power of liturgy was unerringly expressed by the prophet Job (iv, 15): “A spirit passed before my face; the hair of my flesh stood up.” Yet this power can all too easily be surrendered in favour of pedestrian prose and incompetent music. Badly constructed melodies and harmonies can only ever be transitory simply because they are musically inept. Rhythmic patterns devoid of subtlety, trite words incapable of stimulating any kind of imagery constitute some of the most powerful impediments to the possibility of encountering the divine within the context of the liturgy.
Not only does this behaviour testify to technical deficiency (an odd concept in itself for the Church of God to endorse), it offers nothing but spiritual impoverishment to a world clamouring for spiritual fulfilment.
And it goes without saying that the last refuge for those who deny the possibility of a depth of experience of this dimension will always be the accusation of elitism.
True art transcends the ordinary. It invites us to contemplate a presence beyond itself. It entangles us in the divine web of ultimate reality, and so creates an aural environment in which we can experience, in the words of Anselm of Bec, the presence of “that than which nothing greater can be thought”.
The Very Rev Dr John Shepherd is Dean of Perth, Australia
Our worship enables us to enter another time and another dimension - a realm of experience beyond our ordinary human experience
John Shepherd
How can we come to an experience of God? It’s a challenge, because no matter how much we read the Bible, study theology, formulate creeds, devise systems of belief and draw up rules for best Christian practice, all these efforts are only partial, tentative explorations into a dimension that lies beyond any definitive grid we could ever hope to impose.
Which brings us to the worship of the liturgy, for it is in worship that we are immersed in the experience of God. It is here that we engage with the living God.
It is in the liturgy that we are able to enter into another consciousness, probe a deeper reality, strive for a sense of transcendence which lifts us above the mundane, and in the words of psalmist, sets us on a rock that is higher than ourselves. Our worship enables us to enter another time and another dimension — a realm of experience beyond our ordinary human experience, beyond all our known thoughts and understandings.
In monastic terms, the liturgy is the path towards an exalted “ecstasy”, a flight into the cloud of unknowing, the place where God is, and where the true contemplation of the creative stillness of God is possible.
And this is a reality which is beyond the ability of historians, theologians, linguists, biblical scholars or even pastoral liturgists to express. Their contributions may even hinder rather than help. The intensity and intangibility of this experience can only be expressed through the arts.
This is why music of quality is a critical element within the life of the Church. It is a necessity, not a luxury. It is neither a frivolous confection nor an elitist distraction from the real business of faith. Music of quality, in the context of worship, does not entertain or divert. It reveals.
By means of evolving harmonies, rhythms, textures, modulations, orchestrations, melodies, counterpoints, imitations, this rich art form has the potential to create an aural environment which enables us to contemplate the mystery of God.
Music of this calibre draws us into an engagement so profound that its sense can never be exhausted. Any work of art, be it sculpture, painting, literature, poetry or music, whose implications are immediately obvious and can instantly be grasped can never enlist our imagination, and so cannot equip us for mystery; and what cannot equip us for mystery cannot equip us for God.
This is why the Church should have no truck with banality. Yet, sadly, this is not universally the case. Too often, in a quaintly deluded attempt to achieve so-called relevance with a largely unidentified and notional constituency, the words of worship are denuded both of intellectual challenge and poetic imagery, and the music of worship is reduced to the most basic and arid of formulae. This toxic combination has achieved what many thought impossible. The emptying of our churches of those with minds to think, and emotions to inspire.
The power of liturgy was unerringly expressed by the prophet Job (iv, 15): “A spirit passed before my face; the hair of my flesh stood up.” Yet this power can all too easily be surrendered in favour of pedestrian prose and incompetent music. Badly constructed melodies and harmonies can only ever be transitory simply because they are musically inept. Rhythmic patterns devoid of subtlety, trite words incapable of stimulating any kind of imagery constitute some of the most powerful impediments to the possibility of encountering the divine within the context of the liturgy.
Not only does this behaviour testify to technical deficiency (an odd concept in itself for the Church of God to endorse), it offers nothing but spiritual impoverishment to a world clamouring for spiritual fulfilment.
And it goes without saying that the last refuge for those who deny the possibility of a depth of experience of this dimension will always be the accusation of elitism.
True art transcends the ordinary. It invites us to contemplate a presence beyond itself. It entangles us in the divine web of ultimate reality, and so creates an aural environment in which we can experience, in the words of Anselm of Bec, the presence of “that than which nothing greater can be thought”.
The Very Rev Dr John Shepherd is Dean of Perth, Australia
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